President Trump posted on social media Thursday morning to express he’s “not happy” with the Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, calling the strikes “very bad timing” amid peace negotiations and telling Russian President Vladimir Putin to “STOP!”
Overnight, Russia attacked Kyiv with an hourslong barrage of missiles and drones, killing at least eight people and injuring over 70 in likely the deadliest assault on Ukraine’s capital since July. The strikes came as peace talks have appeared to stall.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing,” Mr. Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social. “Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Mr. Trump has insisted he believes Russia wants peace, despite Moscow’s continued assaults on Ukraine, more than three years into Russia’s war.
Although Mr. Trump said he would stop the war before taking office, his administration has so far been unable to broker a peace deal. And Mr. Trump has expressed his growing impatience with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin.
Mr. Trump blasted Zelenskyy on Wednesday, accusing him of prolonging the “killing field” by refusing to consider surrendering Russian-occupied Crimea as part of a possible peace deal.
“His patience is wearing very thin,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. has “issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes, or for the United States to walk away from this process.”
“I have my own deadline,” Mr. Trump said Thursday on a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. He wouldn’t say when that deadline is.
Asked if he still believes Russia is serious about peace after it assaulted Kyiv with missiles and Ukraine overnight, the president said “we are thinking that very strongly that they both want peace, but they have to get to the table.”
Mr. Trump disagreed with any notion that he’s not putting enough pressure on Russia.
“You don’t know what pressure I’m putting on Russia,” he said.
In response to Mr. Trump’s criticism of him over Crimea, Zelenskyy posted a 2018 statement from Mr. Trump’s then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in which Pompeo said it was U.S. policy to not recognize Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea.
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